Internal-combustion engine



H. W. GOCHER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY is. 1918.

1,332,393. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I- I OR H; W. GOCHER.

INTERNAL comsusnom ENGINE.

APPLICATION'HLED JULY13.1918.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' INVENTOR JlrZerZ 77? Geek er. J m B ATTORNEYS H. W. GOCHER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE- APPLICATION man JULY 13. 1916.

1,332,393. Patented Mar. 2,1920.-

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR Jfer-Zer? W606]! er H. W. GOCHER.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE} APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1918.

1,332,393. v Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

mu u INVENTOR 50 Herbc'rZWGotkcn a ORNEY HERBERT W. GOCHER, OF NORTH VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application filed July 13, 1918. Serial No. 244,736.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, HERBERT W. GOCHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal- Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an internal combustion engine of that class wherein a liquid fuel is sprayed into the power cylinder and ignited by the temperature of the air for its combustion, compressed within that cylinder. i

The improvements to which the invention is particularly directed are the provision of a means for mechanically sweeping the products of combustion of the last charge from the power cylinder immediately after the cylinder is opened to the exhaust, which mechanical sweeping of the cylinder is effected by a scavenging plate movable downward through the cylinder under the pressure of the inpassing charge of compressed air for the next power stroke, which charge of air is admitted above the plate.

Operated by the downward movement of the scavenging plate immediately following the power stroke the charge of oil fuel required is indrawn within the hollow stem of the scavenging plate from the supply pipe and this indrawn charge of oil fuel is, during the latter part of the return stroke of the piston, forcibly expressed and sprayed into the power cylinder where it comes 1n contact with the highly compressed charge of air and isconsumed therewith, the temperature of the air as compressed being above the ignition temperature of the fuel.

The air for combustion in one power cylinder is compressed bv the adjacent power cylinder, the cylinders being cross connected through a control valve by which the amount of air is admitted and cut off by rotation of the engine. This control valve is operated by an eccentric and link motion by which the movement of the valve may be regulated to admit the amount of air suited to the speed of the engine, and the direction of rotation of the engine may be reversed bv the same link motion.

I The means by which these several improvements are effected are fully described in the following specification, reference being made to the drawings by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the engine in the plane of the axis of the crank shaft.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3, a plan on the plane of the joint of the power cylinder on the air cylinder showing the ports therefrom to the reversing valve connections.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 55 shaft 7 in the usual manner by rods 6. The.

air compressed in the cylinder 3 is delivered through a duct 8 to a control valve 9 to be described later,and therefrom through a duct 10 to a central chamber 11 in the other cylinder head 12, which chamber opens direct into the power cylinder 2 and is normally closed by a valve 13.

In the lower end of the power cylinder 2 are exhaust ports 1 1 which are uncovered by the pistons 4 at the limit of that pistons movement toward the crank shaft. These exhaust ports 14 are connected to the general exhaust of the engine.

The compressed air admission valve 13 is normallv held in the closed position by a spring 15 between the lower end of a chambered recess in the cylinder head and a collar 16 secured on the s em of the valve. The stem of this valve 13 is hollow and through it is endwise movable the hollow stem 17 of a scavenging plate 18, which plate is an easy fit in the bore of the cylinder 2 and is free to move therein to approx mately the upper edge of the exhaust ports 14. under any unbalanced pressure on opposite sides of the plate. Its movement is checked at the desired limits b a piston 19 secured on the upper end of its stem 17, wh ch piston is cndwise movable within a cylinder 20. the wall of which, intermediate of its ends, is pierced with apertures providing free escape At the upper limit of its movement the edge of the scavenging plate 18 rests on the edge of the seat of the valve 13 so as to shield that valve from the heat of the combustion. At the lower limit the movement of the plate stops adjacent the upper edge of the exhaust ports 14.

The stem 17 of the scavenging plate is axially bored to slidably fit an oil fuel delivery pipe 22 secured in and downwardly projecting from the end cover 23 of the cushioning cylinder 20, to a position just below the air admission valve 13 where the apertured end of the pipe 22 is closed by a needle valve 2% extending axially down the oil delivery pipe and operable by a screw in the body 25 of thevalve by a hand wheel on the outer end of the valve stem.

The axial bore of the scavenging plate stem is closed at the plate 18 by a plate 50 which has a series of fine radial apertures through which the oil fuel is. projected in a spray into the cylinder 2 below the scavenging plate.

The control valveconsists of a cylinder 9 bored to receive an ordinary piston valve 26. The cylinder is ported at each end to receive the ducts 8 through which the com pressed air is delivered from the two air compressing cylinders 3. Intermediate of the end ports which connect with the ducts 8, is a port to which the ducts 10 are connected through which air is delivered from the valve to the central air delivery chamber 11 of each cylinder head to be admitted to the power cylinder through the valves 13 when the proper time arrives. The piston valve 26 covers the ports of the ducts 8 when in the mid position and has a reduced waist "portion which, as the valve is moved up or down, connects alternately the ducts 8 and 10 to connect the air compressor of one cylinder to the air delivery chamber 11 of the other.

The pistonvalve 26 is endwise moved over the ports in the valve 9 of the ducts 8 and 10 by an eccentric 28 on the crank shaft 7, and to enable the admission of air past the ports of the valve to be regulated to the speed requirements of the engine, and direction of rotation of the engine to be reversed, two eccentrics 28 are used, set at the proper angle from their respective cranks to effect the desired object of reversal, and the rods of these eccentrics are connected to the opposite ends of a link 29 to which link the rod of the valve 26 is connected as in an ordinary link motion,- that either eccentric rod may be brought in direct alinement with the valve rod, or may be set in any intermediate position limiting the movement of the piston valve 26 over the ports of the valve cylinder 9, movement of the link 29 being effected by a drag link and reversing lever in'the usual manner.

In use, the supply of liquid fuel being regulated by the needle valve 241 to the require ments of the engine, and the reversing lever set to'the direction of rotation and the com-- pressed air requirements of the engine speed, the compressed air in the central chamber 11 of the power cylinder head will force open the valve 13 as soon as the pressure of the last charge has exhausted through the ports 14, and as the air passes into the power cylinder 2 will carry the scavenging plate 18 with it to the lower end of its movement in the cylinder, thus effectively sweeping out through the exhaust port 1 the residue of the products of com bustion of the last charge. Simultaneously the suction caused by the downward move ment of the cap 30 from the end of the oil delivery pipe 22 induces a flow of the oil fuelas allowed by thevalve 24 into the space below the lower end. of the oil pipe. Movement of'the power piston a upward, will after it passes and closes the port 1 1 compress the air within the cylinder and the unbalanced pressure on the underside of the scavenging plate 18 will cause that plate to move quickly upward in advance of the piston 1.

The upward movement of the piston 4 will not only highly compress the charge of compressed air admitted to the cylinder, to a pressure at which its temperature is above the ignition point of the oil. fuel spray, but adjacent the upper limit of its movement will compress the liquid fuel which has been drawn in past the needle valve 2 1 and will express it in a fine spray through the apertures of the cap plate 30 to combine with the highly heated compressed air in. the

cylinder and be consumed.

The underside of the scavenging plate 18 is preferably made of some light weight metal having a high heat conductivity such as an alloyof aluminium, and between it and the body of the plate a layer of refractory heat non-conducting material, such as asbestee, is introduced to prevent transmission of the heat to the main body of the scavenging plate and to more eifectively protect the valve 13 from the heat of the combustion.

It willhe noted that when the scavenging plate 18 is carried downward, following the movement of the power piston 4: by the inflow of the fresh charge of compressed air through the valve 13, a partial vacuum is formed in the space 31 between the lower end of the oil pipe 22 and the cap plate 30,

under which partial vacuum the oil -fuel is delivered into that space and as the plate 18 moves up again under the compression during upward movement of the piston a that movement is initially assisted by the partial vacuum in the space 31 and by the air compressed by the piston 19 in the lower end of the cylinder 20.

Attention may here be drawn to the important relation which the area of the stem 17 of the scavenging plate bears to the weight of that plate and its stem, as on it depends the upward movement of the scavenging plate in advance of the piston 4, due to the compression of the air by that piston during its upward stroke. As soon as the pressure acting on the area of the stem of the scavenging plate is suiiicient to overcome the weight of that plate and its stem, the plate will move quickly upward clear of the piston.

Again an important function. resides in the control of the escape of air from above the check piston 19through the upper valve 21, as that control determines the period of time within which the scavenging plate set-its on the cylinder head over the valve 13.

The underside of the scavenging plate being of high conductivity and heat insulated from the upper side oi the same will absorb heat during the power stroke and will conserve it to assist the heat of compression to ignite the charge. t will thus compensate for the reduced compression temperature of a less charge of air when the engine is running at a slow speed and will thus enable it to run economically under such reduced charge.

By compressing the air before delivery to the power cylinder a fuller charge of air is available for combustion and consequently a higher horse power is derivable from an engine of certain size.

iilthough air has commonly beeuused for scavenging purposes in engines of this class it has within my knowledge been only used to directlv expel the products of combu tio by displacement, and has not heretofore been applied. as in this case. to operate a scavenging plate separating the incoming fresh air from the out-passing products of combustion, which system positively sweeps the cylinder clear.

An advantage in the oil feed of this engine is that the oil fuel is fed to the cylinder at practically atmospheric pressure, the oil being drawn in to the vacuum induced in the space 31 in the scavenger plate spindle 30, as that plate descends under the pressure of the inflowing air. This indrawn oil is forcibly expressed into the volume of the cylinder during the latter part of the compression stroke when the air is compressed in the cylinder to ignition temperature. This avoids the necessity of maintaining a high pressure of air for injection of the oil fuel.

A distinct advantage is also obtained in the use of air in the compressing cylinders for starting or reversing purposes as their enlarged area enables this starting or compression to be eil ected with relatively lower pressure as compared with what is commonly used for this object.

As the pressure of the air as delivered from the air compressing cylinder 3 is insufiicient to eilect starting or reversal of the engine, air for this purpose may be taken from a reservoir supplied with a small auxiliary air compressor and delivered to the valve 9 26 through the pipe 32.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is:

1. in an internal combustion engine of the class described having means for separately admitting air and the liquid fuel at one end of the cylinder and other means for exhausting the fuel charges from the other end of the cylinder, the said means for separately dmitting the air and the liquid fuel including a scouring plate movable in the scavenging direction, under pressure of the incoming air the said plate being of a smaller diameter than that of the cylinder, whereby the incoming air is permitted to pass in advance of the plate for directly expelling the products of combustion and the passing of the new fuel charge, under piston compression, back of the said plate, and a valve operable under the fuel charge com pression for closing oil the air intake.

2. In an internal combustion engine having means for admitting compressed air to the cylinder for scavenging it of the products of combustion after each power stroke and a scavenging plate free from contact with the wall of the cylinder axially movable therein separating the incoming scavenging charge of air from the products of combustion during such scavenging opera-- tion.

3. In an internal combustion engine ha ing means for admitting the fuel charge one end oi the cylinder and for exhausting the products of combustion from the other end of the same, mechanical means separate from the piston for sweeping the cylinder lree of the products of combustion after each power stroke, said means comprising a scavenging plate concentric with the bore of the cylinder free from contact with its wall and axially movable therein between the piston and the cylinder head, and means -for admitting compressed air between the cylinder head and this plate during exhaust of the products of combustion at the latter part of the power stroke whereby the inflowing compressed air will move the & eeasea scavenging plate downward to sweep the character stated, the combination with the working cylinder and the piston, the said cylinder having a compressed air intake in the head thereof, a valve tending to normally close the said intake, means for directing compressed air through the valve intake and an exhaust that is opened, when the piston reaches the limit of its impelled stroke; means movable within the working cylinder for driving out the products of combustion, the said means being impelled by the charge of compressed air only and other means for feeding the liquid fuel into the working chamber between the means that drives out the exhaust and the working piston, after the said piston has partly compressed the air charge.

5. In an internal combustion engine, means for indrawing during each power stroke a charge of liquid fuel for the next power stroke, means admitting to the cylinder a charge of compressed air for combustion during the same stroke, means for separating in the cylinder the admitted charge of air from the products of combustion of the last stroke and for preventing escape of the air charge to the exhaust, and means cooperative with the compression stroke of the piston for expressing the indrawn charge of liquid fuel into the air so com pressed, whereby it is ignited and consumed.

6. In an internal combustion engine having provision for a power stroke on each revolution of the crank shaft, means for admitting a charge of compressed air to the power cylinder at the lower end of the power stroke and during the exhaust of the products of combustion, means for separating the admitted charge of air from the pro ducts of combustion, said means comprising a scavenging plate loosely conforming to the bore of the cylinder within which it is supported to be axially movable, under any unbalanced pressure in the cylinder, and means external to the cylinder for arresting movement of the plate within the cylinder at the desired limits of its movement and for regulating the time of such stop.

7. In an internal combustion engine of the character described, two power cylinders and two air compressing cylinders forming one power unit, each power cylinder being in alinement and secured to each compression cylinder that. their pistons may move together in connection to their respective crank pins, means for admitting air for compression to the compression cylinder, said means including a control valve shiftable under engine power connection, and further means for delivering the air charge compressed in one cylinder into the other power cylinder at that end farthest from the exhaust from the said power cylinder.

8. In an internal combustion engine hav ing means for admitting the fuel charge at one end of the cylinder and for exhausting the products of combustion from the other end of the same and means for admitting air to the cylinder. a scavenging plate loosely conforming to the bore of the cylinder and supported therein on a central stem to be axially movable in the cylinder in one direction under the pressure of the admitted charge of air for combustion, and in the op-' posite direction under the unbalanced area of the scavenging plate stem during the compression stroke whereby the air for combustion admitted to the cylinder following the exhaust of the products of combustion therefrom will move the plate to sweep the cylinder free of the residue of such products of combustion and thereafter as the piston compresses the air charge" for the next power stroke, that compression will cause the scavenging plate to move'rapidly to the upper end of the cylinder.

9. An internal combustion engine, means for delivering compressed air for scavenging and for combustion to the power cylin der, said means comprising an air chamber in the power cylinder head, the end of which chamber opens into the cylinder and is closed by a valve normally held in the closed position by a spring, a scavenging plate loosely conforming to the bore of the cylinder and secured on a stem which is endwise movable through the stem of the air valve, said plate movable endwise in the cylinder under the pressure of the air when admitted, said scavenging plate having a layer of heat non-condu: ting material to protect the valve from the heat of the combustion in the cylinder.

10. An internal combustion engine, means for delivering compressed air for scavenging and for combustion to the power cylinder, said means comprising an air chamber in the power cylinder head, the end of which chamber opens into the cylinder and is closed by a valve normally held in the closed position by a spring, a scavenging plate loosely conforming to the bore of the cylinder and secured on a stem which is endwise movable through the stem of the air valve, said plate movable endwise in the cylinder under the pressure of the air when admitted, said plate having a layer of heat nonconducting material and a layer of material of high heat conductivity on the underside of the non-conducting material.

11. In an internal combustion engine having two power cylinders and two air com- I pressing cylinders forming one power unit, each power cylinder being secured to and in alinement with an air compressing cylinder 13o that the pistons of these cylinders may move together in their connection to their respective crank pins, a piston valve operated by an eccentric on the crank shaft, that regu lates the amount of air admitted to the com pression cylinder and the delivery of the same from the compression cylinder to the power cylinder.

12. In an internal combustion engine having two power cylinders and two air compressing cylinders forming one power unit, each power cylinder being secured to and in alinement with an air compressing cylinder that the pistons of these cylinders may move together in their connection to thei respective crank pins, means for admitting air to the compression cylinder and for controlling; the delivery of the air as compressed to the other power cylinder, said means comprismg a piston valve operated by eccentrics on the crank shaft through the intervention of a link motion.

13. In an internal combustion engine 1 av ing two power cylinders and two air com pressing cylinders forming one power unit, each power cylinder being secured to and in alinement with an air compressing cylinder that the pistons of these cylinders may move together in their connection to their respective crank pins, means for admitting air to the compression cylinder and for controlling the delivery of the air as compressed to the other power cylinder, said means comprising a piston valve operated by eccentrics on the crank shaft through the intervention of a link motion and controllingthe admission of air to the compression cylinder.

14. An internal combustion engine having two power cylinders and two air compression cylinders of relatively larger diameter forming one power unit, each power cylinder being in alinement with and secured to a compression cylinder that their pistons may be connected to one crank pin, and the crank pins being at one hundred and eighty degrees from one another, means for admitting air to the compression cylinders between the two pistons, and for delivering the air com pressed in one cylinder to a chamber in the head of the other power cylinder, said means comprising a piston valve movable over ports connecting the atmosphere with the compression cylinder and each compression cylinder with the chamber in the head of the other power cylinder, said valve operated by eccentrics on the cranlr shaft through the intervention of a link motion, a valve normally closing the open end of the chamber of the power cylinder head, which valve will open when the pressure in the air chamber exceeds that in the power cylinder, a scavenging plate conforming loosely to the bore of each power cylinder and axiallv movable therein, said plate secured to a hollow stem which is endwise movable through the stem of the air delivery valve over which valve the scavenging plate seats, a piston secured to the upper end of the stem of the scavenging plate, which piston is endwise movable in an air cushion cylinder secured to the cylinder head, means intermediate of its ends providing for the escape of the air to and from the cylinder, means controlling exit of theair at each end of the cushion cylinder, an apertured plate closing the lower end of the bore of the scavenging plate stem, an oil delivery pipe secured in the head of the air cushion cylinder and projecting axially through the stem of the scavenging plate to a short distance below the power cylinder head, an axial aperture in the end of the oil pipe and a needle valve adjustable through the end of the oil pipe and seating in its axial aperture whereby the amount of oil passing through the oil pipe to the lower end of the scavenging plate stem may be controlled.

15. An internal combustion engine comprising two power cylinders and two air compressing cylinders forming one power unit, each power cylinder being in alinement and secured to each compression cylinder that their pistons move together in their connection to their respective crank pins, each of the power cylinders having an exhaust at the innermost end, means for delivering air from each compression cy1in der to the other power cylinder at that end thereof opposite its exhaust, the said means including an air passage having a controlling valve that regulates the amount of air admitted to the power cylinder and connections between the valve and the engine crank shaft for transmitting movement to the valve.

16. In an internal combustion engine, means for delivering compressed air for scavenging and for combustion to the power cylinder, the said means comprising an air chamber in the power cylinder head, the end of which opens into the said power cylinder, a spring actuated valve that normally closes the said air chamber from the power cylinder, a scavenging plate loosely conforming to the bore of the power cylinder and secured on a stem which is end wise movable through the stem of the air controlling valve, said plate moving endwise in the cylinder under the pressure of the air when admitted.

17. In an internal combustion engine having means for admitting compressed air to the power cylinder for scavenging it of pro ducts of combustion after each stroke, a scavenging plate treelv movable within the cylinder, said plate having a stem, and means for checking the air impelled movement of the plate at the desired limits, the said plate operating for separating the incoming scavenging air from the products of combustion during said scavenging operation.

18. In an internal combustion engine having means for admitting compressed air to the power cylinder for scavenging it of products of combustion after each power stroke, a scavenging plate freely movable within the cylinder, said plate having a stem, means for checking the air impelled movement of the plate at the desired limits, the

said plate operating for separating the in coming scavenging air from the products of combustion during said scavenging operation, the said means including an air cylinder having air inlets, and apiston on the scavenging plate stem that works within the said cylinder.

19. In an internal combustion engine having means for admitting compressed air to the power cylinder for scavenging it of products of combustion after each power stroke, a scavenging plate freely movable within the cylinder, said plate having a stem, means for checking the air impelled movements of the plate at the desired limits, the said plate operating for separating the incoming scavenging air from the products of combustion during the said scavenging operation, the said means including an air cylinderhaving air inlets, a piston on the scavenging plate stem that works within the said cylinder, and other means for cushioning the stroke of the said piston at the limits of its movement in either direction.

20. In an internal combustion engine of the type wherein a liquid fuel is sprayed into the power cylinder and ignited by the temperature of the air for its combustion compressed within the power cylinder, two power cylinders forming one power unlt, each power cylinder being in alinemcnt and secured to its corresponding compression cylinder that their pistons may move together in connection with the respective crank pins, means for' separately admitting air for compression, drawing in a fuel charge and for forcibly expressing the said fuel charge into the power cylinder to contact with the highly compressed charge of r air to be consumed therewith, during the latter part of the return stroke of the piston, and further means for delivering the air compressed in one power cylinder to the other power cylinder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HERBERT W. GOCHER. 

